Bosses from ferry companies DFDS and Stena Lines will meet government officials later today following rival P&O’s decision to sack 800 staff.
The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed the meeting but did not say what would be discussed, although it comes amid concerns over chaos at ports during the Easter holidays.
A DfT spokesman said: “Ministers are working to understand how we can ensure the continuation of services in collaboration with other operators, including DFDS and Stena.”
Stena’s chief operating officer head of fleet management and government affairs, Ian Hampton, is understood to be attending, along with union representatives.
Hundreds of P&O workers were sacked without notice on 17 March, and replacements were hired on minimum wage in a move that angered unions, politicians, and customers of the 150-year-old shipping brand.
P&O chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite had denied the company broke criminal law but on Thursday he admitted P&O broke employment law by failing to consult with unions and staff.
Study predicted £309m cost to keep P&O going during consultation
Meanwhile, the PA news agency reported that P&O Ferries conducted a study last year examining options to keep the company going.
The study calculated a cost of £309m to sustain the business for at least three months while consulting with staff over job losses.
It decided against a full staff consultation over the planned jobs cuts, with a source telling PA that a long consultation could have disrupted the business and affected customer confidence.
P&O believes that losing the 800 workers has protected the business long-term and the jobs of 2,200 other employees.
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P&O ferry…
Source : skynews
